Full-joint hinge bow-top.



C. L. BAIR.

FULL JOINT HINGE BOW TOP.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14, I914- Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

1m: COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

C. L. BAIR.

FULL JOINT HINGE BOW TOP.

) 'APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14. 1914.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

I 5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

"gm! .7 f nm 1 MWMEY/ I C. L. BAIR.

FULL JOINT HINGE BOW TOP.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I4. 1914.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

5 SHEETSSHEET 3- I IIIIIii I C. L. BAIR.

FULL JOINT HINGE BOW TOP.

APPLICATION man JAN. 14. 1914.

1 1 7 l ,9 1 8 Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Patented Feb. 15,1916.

' 5 SHEETSSHEET 5 ii A; E;

C. L. BAIR.

FULL JOINT HINGE BOW TOP.

APPLICATION FILED IAN-14,1914.

owiaED STATES meme @FFKQE.

CLARENCE I... BAIR, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, essrenon TO AUTO SPECIALTIES MANU- V FACTURING CO.,.OFSAN:FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be'it known that I, CLARENCE L BAIR', citizen of the United States, residing" at Chicago, in "the county of Cook and State. of-Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Full JointHinge Bow-Tops, of which the followingisa specification.

This invention relates to full joint hinge going objectand which is not readily liable is perspective iew of the topillus;

- the wind shield.

to get out of order.

More in detail the invention consists in the use of aspliced extension side'member having itsjparts detachably connected together bya joint or joints of exceedingly rigid construction which render the side members rigid so that the front bow socket ordinarily rising from the front seat of the car may be entirely omitted.

It further consists in'a novel adjusting device for properly positioning the various parts of' the top before the cover proper is applied and for afterward taking up slack which and stretch.

.The invention also consists in features and details of construction which will be hereafter more fully described, a'mong'other things in a novel form of top' holder for securing the tion.

In the drawings, Figur l is-a perspec tive view of an automobile bodyhaving the top' o f this invention applied thereto. Fig.

2 is adetail plan view of the. method of, connecting the front bow Fig. 3..is a" sectional detailview: partially in section on the line 3-3, of Fig.2. Fig. 4 is aplanview on.

the line 4 1: Fig. 3. .Fig. 5 is 'a sectional detail view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig.

occurs therein due to wear" parts of the'top in folded posi or bow No. 1 to runnaornr Ems-seaw ter.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb, 1916,

. Application filed January 14, 1914. seriai'no; 812,047.

tratedin Fig. 1, after the front section of V the-top has been folded in. Fig. 7 is a side View of the parts' which when connected,

together form the'joint connection to which bow No. 2 is attached Fig. 8 is a plan View of all of the parts shown in Fig. 7. Fig; 9 is a plan view of the end of the lower left hand member 'ofthe' parts shown in Fig.

7. Fig. 10 shows the top inthe third po'sition which the parts assume as they are folded up. Fig. 11' is an'end view-of the.

trigger device for locking or connecting the ends of the sidesections of the top, together. Flg. 12 1s a side view of the parts illustrated in'Fig. 1 1. Fig. 13 is aside view of hinge socket to which bows 3 and 4:81'6 connected. Fig. 14L is aside View of the parts of Fig. 13 looking at them' from the right hand side ofFig. 13. Fig. 15 is 'a plan View of the for-kwhich engages the hinge socket, the same being shown in side View atthe right hand portion 'of Fig. 12. Fig.

16 shows the top in fullyfolded position.'

Fig. 17 is a side detail of the joint in the rear side section of the frame. Fig, 18is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 17. Fig. 19 i av side view of the juncture of bows '5, 6 and 7. Fig. 20 is a front view taken on the line 2020 of Fig. 19. Fig. 21 is a sideview in section of thesupport for the upper rear .curve at the topfrequently called the Grecian bend. Fig. 22 isa side, enlarged, detail view of my improved top holder. Fig. 23 isa sectional, detail view on the line 23- 23 of'Fig. 24c. Figf2e is a sectional, detailview on the line 2424 of Fig. 22. p t

For convenience the bows properof this 7. inclusive, as'cl'early appears in the dif- 'ferent figurespparticular ly lVhen; the top-is in extended position asshown in Fig. 1, these bows all rise directly or in directly from the side frame of the top,

viz., a continuous member-extending along each side, the same being,'however,' made in parts or sections, preferablyfalined one with the other so that both. simplicity of constructionan'd neatness of appearance are obtained. In the particular case here illustrated each'side frame comprises, viz.', a forward section, 8, an lntermediate section and a rear sect on 10, iTll'lS latter sect on ticularcase here illustrated bow No. 1 is made of wood and forward section .members 8 are made of hollow steel and the ends of the bow are driven into or 'socketed into the endsof the side members 8, therebylightening the construction over the use of a metal bow No. 1.

Rigidly secured to bow 1 by means of belts or rivets 11 are two or more horizontal braces 16 carrying at their inner-ends casing members 18 within which are pivotally mounted at 20 latchmembers 22 controlledby a spring 24- adapted to latch overa knob 28 extending from the .rim 28 of the wind shield 30. One of each pair of latch members is provided with a handle 82 which may be pressed inward against the action of spring 24: to release this latch device from the top of the wind shield. It will be noticed that the knob 26 on the top of the wind shield extends up into a hollow recess 34: in the casing member 18 where it en gages the latch members 22, there being thus no danger of the operators inadvertently catching any article of apparel upon the latch members 22 either during the act of attaching or detaching the parts or otherwise.

The rear end of each forward section side member 8 is forked as clearly shown in plan view in Fig. 9 into two side members 36 1 adapted. to fit into corresponding recesses 38 on the forward end of the ad acent 1nter mediate section member 9. In the space be-:

tween the fork members 86 and screw threaded into the body of member 8 is a screw 4L0 whose outer end is adapted to bear at 7 1-2 on the end of the adjacent mem her 9 so that the angularity of members 8 and 9 to each other may be adjusted by the distance which the outer end vof screw {i0 extends from the body of the member 8. This adjusting screw 40 may be locked in position by a lock screw 14- which is adapted to be tightened up .against the side of .the screw 40 Pivoted upon the .upper portion .of the member 380i? intermediate member 9 at &6 is a short link 18 to whose outer end is pivoted at bow The adjacentend of bow No. 2 contains a screw 52 similar to screw e0, heretofore described, adapted to be adjusted in and out of bow No. 2 and to contact link 48 at 55 with the result that the angular'position of the link and. bow 2 may be varied by adjusting the position of this screw. The screw 52 may be locked in pos1t1on by a screw 54 corresponding to.

screw 44 heretofore described. The function of link 18 in combination with set screw 52 is to. allow the builder of the device to.

adjust bow 2 so that it assumes proper position 1n the extended structure, as shown in the drawings, .and yet may be swung into alinement with intermediate members i 9 when the top is in collapsed p'ositi'om which would not be possible if bow. 2 with the ad-i I justing, screw therein were directly connected to members 9 at 46.

Rigidly mounted near the center of each forward member Sis ,a sleeve'56 clearly shown inFig.

This sleeve ispreferably 1 made in two pal-13. .56 and. 56 interfittedfl together as is clearly shown in the figure Throughthe parts 56 and 56 and through the rod member *8 which they inclosepis passed'a bolt 58. On the ends of. this bolt are journaledi parallel. link members i 60.

This sleeve 56 forms a support for the pivot:

screw 58 and reinforces the member. 8 at this point sufficiently so that it-can carry the strain communicated to it by the link member 60. The construction here shown has the special advantage that in building the top in the'first place, the proper position of thesleeve may be determined by experie ment before- -the holes for the bolt 58 are made, thus insuring accurate positioning;

of the parts in a manner which would not be possible were the sleeves brazed onto the members 8 before assembling began. opposite ends of the link member s 60 are pivoted upon a boltsor screw 62 near the forward end of'the adjacent intermediate side member 9;

On the inner or rear end of each member 9 is a sleeve 6st connected in rigid position The by any suitable means such. for instance as the: screwfSBand upon the lower side of. this sleeve 64 is a pivot pin 68' to which is.

pivotally connected atrigger 70 controlled. by a spring 72. This trigger 70 is so located 3 and shaped that when the-adjacent forward I side member 8 has been swung from the position of Fig.;, 1 to that of Fig'.=i6,, the

trigger rests in the space between the fork members 36 and under the inner end of side member 8 and thus detachably supports the member 8 in the position shown in Fig. 6. By swinging the trigger to the right ifrorn the position shown in; Fig. 6, the end of member 8 is released and the operator can move the side members .8 about the 1X1S 62 as a center from the position of Fig. 6*to that of Fig. 1.

On the rear end :of each side member '9 are fork'members 74 corresponding design and function to the members 36 heretofore described and between them are;lo cated screws 40 and 44 as before.

These 1 fork members T l areadapted to: enter recesses '7 6 in the sides ofthe socket @casting- 78 and the adjacentscrew a0: is adapted to bear against this casting at8O in the, same a manner .andfor the same purposes as screw" bears at 42. This socket casting 78 has pivoted to'it at 82 how No. 3 andhas pivotedv to it at 84 bow 4. These bows have adjusting screws :85 controlled by lock screws 86. So far as function is concerned, these screws 85. and 86"correspond exactly to screws 40 and 44, heretofore described.

Thecastingi78 has extendingfrom its 'bottom'a metallic member 88 to the opposite sidesxof which are connected wooden members 90 and the combined device is driven into the forwardv socket.member 92 pivoted at 94 upon the body 96-0f the car. A rivet 97 passing. through slots 98 in the combined member 8890 permits of adjustment of the member 7 8 with the socket 92with' reference to each other before this rivet is finally secured in place. This construction is fully shown, described and claimed in my prior UnitedState s applica-.

tion, Serial Number 661,221.

Located near the middle of each member 9 is a sleevedevice,56 heretofore described to which is pivotally connected apair of linkmembers 100 pivoted at 102 on the casting 78. These link members 100 correspond in function to link members 60, heretofore described.

*At the lower portion of each member 92 is a trigger device 104 of similar construction to trigger device 70, heretofore described, adapted to receive and hold the end 74 of member 9 when the device has been folded from the position of Fig.6 to that of Fig. 10 and thence to that of Fig. 16.

Pivoted at 94 on each side of the body 96:

is a rear socket member 106 carrying at its upper end the composite structure illustrated in Fig. 19, comprising bows 5, 6 and 7. These last mentioned parts are secured to this rear socket-through the construction shown in Fig. 19 in which a metallic plate member 108is provided havinganend 110 extending substantially down into the socket. To-this metallic plate member is pivoted at 112 how 5. To this plate member is riveted, as shown, bow 6, rivet 114 being used for the purpose. Bow 7 is secured in position by meansof glue along the line 116 and the rivet 118 which passes through the lower end of the bow 7, how 8 and through plate 108. A wooden member 120 is also attached and the whole is driven into the socket 106. This construction is important in insuring the position of bows 6 and 7 with reference to each other so that their outer ends can be connected by the metallic curved member 122 to give the Grecian bend shape to the rear end of the top. i

The upper ends of sockets 92 and 106 areconnected-together by the rear side members 10, heretofore described, pivoted together at 12 as shown and adapted to be folded as shown, so as to permit the proper assembling ofallof the parts when the device is .in' collapsed position, all as shown in the drawings.

as shown, the members 8, 9, 92 and 106' are positively secured inlposition bythe use, ofa top holder 124 supported upon a stud 126; extending from the side of the car.

This top holder is adjustable vertically with reference to the bodyiof the carso'that 'it can'be adjusted to such'a position thatwhen closed upon the parts which it is designed to contain, as shown, it keeps theparts which are held in position by the triggers and 104 in such a position that they When thetop has been fully collapsed,"

cannot jar out of engagementwith, said triggers and thus destroy the proper collapsed position of the parts to say nothing of'permitting the rattle and other noises- The manner in which the top holder: is

. adjustable is fully shown in Figs. 22, 23

and'24. The back member 128 of the top holder is provided with a plurality ofparallel holes 130- of proper size toreceive the member 126 while transversely of these.

holes 130' are a plurality of small bolts of such size that the circumference ofthe stud126 and an equal sized idle plug placed,

berproper 144 engaging a lug 148. The in-' ner faceuof the forward member 140 is provided with'a leather lining 150 and in the particular form here shown is provided with separating ridges 152, but these are'not essential to this invention as by the use of the spring clamp device 144, 146, 148, in combination with the leather protecting device 150, it is possible to clamp the front member 140 upon the folded bow so tightly that all side play is avoided, thereby doingaway with the serious damage which occurs in all prior devices where any side play takes-1 In the particular case here illus trated, the bow holder engages the links 60' place.

and 100 and bypressing strongly against them, positively secures all'of the parts in position for obviously with these links tightly 'pressed,--it is impossible for any other parts of the top to move. 'In' other words, these 'tightly pressed links serve the function of separators.

"The supporting bows 1' to 7 "inclusive are covered by any suitable top cover 160. 1 V .In the operation of the device all the parts eXcept the cover are first assembled in approximately the position of Fig. l andbrought to the actually desired position by properly adjusting the various adjusting screws 40, 52 and 85, whereupon the top 160 proper is stretched into position and permanently secured in that position to the various bows. In

order tolower the top the operator first presses upon the knobs 32 thus releasing the:

bow 1 from the windshield. He then raises side members 8 sufficiently above the horizontal so as to unlatch members 86 from contact with member 88. He thereupon swings members 8 from the position of- Fig. l to that ofFig. 6, at the conclusion of this movement'snapping in thetriggersZO. T he operator next takes hold of side members 8 and 9 in the position of Fig. 6 and raises their outer ends sufficiently so as to unlatch member 7st from engagement with recesses 76 and then inserts members 74: under the control of triggers 10%, the parts now being in the position of Fig. 10. The operator now breaks joints 12, thus inthe ordinary man ner collapsing the rear section of the top with the result that the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 1.6-where the bow hold-- ers 124 are applied, the bow holders having been first adjusted so as to hold the top at.

the proper height above the wheels or other objectscn the side of the car which might interfere with them. when it is desired to raise the top, the operator performs the foregoing movements in reverse order.-

It will be noticed that the construction of the oint for connecting side sections 8 and 9 together and for connecting section. 9 to casting 78, is such.v that the greater the. weight upon the supported section, the tighter the joint is locked, 2'. 6., the greater pressure there is tending to force the fork members 36 and 74 into their respective seats.

Having thus. described my invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by '3 Letters Patent, is:

1. In the art described, a pair of normally ahned. horizontal side members, bows connected thereto, and a top: member over said members on each side of the vehicle and at a point between its endsv to the other adjacent socket member so that a substantial pori n o -.ea h e r m o rh ngs one of its socket 1 members, means supportinga top 7 covermember from the side frames, means permitting selectively separating the over hanging-portion of each-side frame from theremainder'of its'side fr'ame and moving-1t from its position inahnement with the re-- mainder of the frame to a "position parallel with its. adjacent socket member, means for I, detachably connecting the thus moved sideframe member to said adjacent socket memL- ber,'and means, allowing collapsing the por- 7 tion of the sidefr'amewhich isbetweenthe socket members.

3. In combination with avehicle body and a support rising fromeach side thereof, a a pair of'sideframes extending horizontallyfrom said side supports, each "of saidside frames beyond its support being separable into two parts. and movable from its e'said' horizontal positionin which it is int aline-; ment with the rest of its side fr'ame to a po--l sitionwhere these parts are parallel to each other end-parallel tothe supports, means for detachably securing oneof the parts of each; I

side frame when inthe last mentioned spos:i

tion to. the adjacentjside frame part, and

' means for securingthe last mentioned Eside frame part to the fixed support,.this in combination with means for supporting the top; proper from the-side frames wherebywhen' said side frames are in alined horizontal po-.

sition the-top is supported in extended posiei tion and when the side frames are discon--- nected: and supported as described the por? tion of the top carriedby saidside frames is supported in collapsed position.

4. 1111 the art described, a vehicle body, a

support. rising from-each side of the body near the rear thereof, another support, such? as a wind-shieldrising from the front of the body, apair ofnormally horizontal side frames, comprising} a pluralityof alinedr parts, connected to saidrearqsupport and t0, said Wind-shield support, a top covering supported upon. saidside frames, said side 1 frames beingseparable-into a plurality of parts intermediate between thewind-shield and the rear supports and movable from said alined position to a position where they are parallel to each other and supported.

front the rear support whereby the, portion of the top cover between the wind-shield. and the rear supports is selectively collapsible or=- extensible for the purposes set forth.

5. In the art described,a side frame, made 9 i in two sections, a link pivot-ally connectedlto A each of said sections'adapted tO-permit their movement between twopositi'ons; in one of Y which they are end toend and in the other" of which they are parallel to each other, and

means for detachably connecting the sections of the side frame together inj each of said 2 positions.

6. In theartdescribed, a pair of wholly separable sidef aine 1 sections, normally .eon-

nectible end to end, and an adjusting screw in one of said sections bearing against the other section to change the angular position of the two sections with reference to each other.

7. In the art described, two side frame sections normally connectible end to end, a link device pivoted to each section to permit rotary but prevent longitudinal movement of one section with reference to the other, and a device at the point of contact of said two.

sections adapted to be adjusted to different positions to vary the alinenient of the two bow pivoted to said short link and an adjusting device for varying the angular position of the bow with reference to'the short link, for the purposes set forth.

10. In the art described, a supporting,

member, a short link pivoted to the supporting member, a lateral support for the link, a bow pivoted to said short link and an adjusting screw device for varying the angular position of the bow with reference to the short link, for the purposes set forth.

11. In the art described, two horizontal bow sections detachably connectible in sub stantial alinement with each other, a short link 4:8 pivotally connected to one of said members, a bow pivoted to said short link, a screw 52 in the end of the bow adapted to bear upon the link, all of the parts being arranged and disposed as shown and described for the purposes set forth.

12. In the art described, in combination with a supporting rod and a link adapted to be pivotally connected thereto, a sleeve made in two parts interfitting with each other and V inclosing the rod, and a bolt passing through the two parts of the sleeve and the rod forming a bearing for the link.

13. In the art described, casting 78 provided with'means for attachment to a bow socket and adapted to receive a horizontal supporting side framemember and adapted to have anotherside frame memberpivoted thereto, two bowrmembers pivoted to said.

casting, and means for adjusting the angu;

ence to said casting, allof the parts being arranged. and disposed substantially as shown and described for the purposes set forth. 7

14. In the art described, two side members lar position of each bow member with referconnectible end to end, a link wpivoted to both of said side members so as to permit one of said members to swing from its position in line with the other member to a position in whichitv is substantiallyparallel to the other member, anda trigger device connecting said side members in said last mentioned position for the purposesdescribed. V

In witness whereof, I have hereunto su scr bed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

DWIGHT B. CHEEVER, KATHRYN S. READY.

CLARENCE L. BAIR. 7

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. e i 

